Support The Moscow Times!

Council of Europe Urges Russia to Up Anti-Corruption Efforts

The Europa building, Brussels. Olivier Matthys / AP / TASS

The Council of Europe's anti-corruption council on Tuesday urged Russia to boost efforts against graft among members of its parliament, judges and prosecutors.

The European rights watchdog's GRECO anti-corruption body said there had been some progress, but "work is still needed."

"The transparency of the legislative process still needs strengthening, with public consultations on bills becoming the general rule rather than an option," GRECO said in its latest report.

It added "the executive power still has the possibility of initiating its own control of MPs' asset declarations, which remains a concern for the separation of powers."

Since the group's last report in 2017, Russia has complied with nine of out of 22 recommendations, and partly achieved another nine, GRECO said.

The group aims to improve its members' capacity to fight corruption through evaluation reports and peer pressure.

Membership is not limited to the Council of Europe and currently comprises 50 member states, including Belarus and the United States.

The Council of Europe, separate from the European Union, has no binding powers but brings together 47 member states including Russia and Turkey to make recommendations on rights and democracy.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more